Apparatus for harvesting vine grown crops



Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS l6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 d m-mini INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS C. ELTON BY e /0w 1 W ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 J. oYcE ETAL, 3,210,917

APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS G. "ELTON BIY/(fiww /WTORNEYI 1965 J. BOYCE E rAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS C. "ELTON JQ PFW ATT RNEY F-IE-I L Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL 3,210,917

APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL 3,210,917

APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS G. MELTON M g WW Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL 3,210,917

APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 10 I 'I E 1 1 A 152R 1 a '7--- -1977152 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS C. MELTON ATTORNEY 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet l1 mwm INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS C. MELTON 41%,, ZLJ.

ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 Filed Aug. 29 1961 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 ADRUS C. MELTON Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 mmr NPP JOHN BOYCE ADRUS O. MELTON WZJ.

ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTORS JOHN BOYCE ADRUS C. MELTON BY /D A444 i 97 yw 'Vz:/

ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1965 J. BOYCE ETAL 3,210,917

APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING VINE GROWN CROPS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 F'I I3 2 2 \J9ZO F I I3 2 :El

t/' F I E 2 q 938 INVENTORS JO N BOYCE 932 v A0205 0. MELTON 936 BY W -9 /W QCI\ ATTORNEY darnage.

' an improved apparatus res that the vines, their undamaged e harvest beans several times AEPARATU H GRGWN CROPS s C. Melton, Vanalit., an d u MC Corporation, San blossoms ractical to d apparatus couver, Wa assignors to.

' 3392? i ifns er. 0. 3 5 ,19 throughout the grow season.

Ano er object is to provide an improve s simultaneously irorn both sides of a means, in a esting vine 1O 0 ow of bean pia s.

' is 0 provide irnpr v d heads, tor adjust- The present invention *appertains to h rv s and relates more p to appara s Another ob r hav'ng oppos te p cker ads horizontally pick a ar icularly ture is pro 1 th 1 rality or space pp izontal wires 2 ield upw mproved picker bars in a e beans in out its leng' a u n whi vertically space The bean p k 'a pole beans,

d around the wires an iorrn a oi the groun e {eat Another object is to provide i bean harvesting mac e bars lock th icker bar to prevent flipp' D erew'lth.

e fence an ually irom Si 0 s from as little position ont height and having a 1 l s as four inches to as much as twenty inches.

n blossoms appe adacent the over a d, other blossom Another object is for a pole bea harvesting machine growing close to poles.

' oved picker D higher levels and at proe individual chine to 0 Another obiect s o a b an harvesting machine.

' s for lifting 1 cluster develop at p rmation 0 th ed'ble pods, hereinthe beans ad- Another obiec is p ioli-age and the overhanging vine s -ns to e a 'on at the pic later times in the F these reaso s,

' mature conto efficiently expo ortions o the w and further he humidity own harvesters. erature These and other obiects and advantages or the weather is coo ill become apparen -r the follow result, the connection e accompanying drawings, in FIG. o e ett side oi chine oi the present invention. d '5 are fro t n r ar elevations i shown in F invention to ovide an impro n harvesting ma re. I FIG. 5 is sirrn a provide improved means tor acas viewed iro comrnodatin a s t the difficult and varied the harvester. conditions en on re in harvesting beans. FIGS. 6A an 63 are enlarged 0 cc is to provide improved picking means broken away, oi the upper and l ester. tively, o e ri ht hand picke t rovide a bean rnploy- 65 taken looking in the direction 0 a ws 6A an vines and forming a fragmentary co oi the picker head.

' vertical transve 4 head, partly broken away, taken along lines 8-8 of known t e his tansmission may be set so that the FIG arvester 3 an be moved forward, as indicated by the FIG is an enlarged perspective showing a portion arrow 58 (FIG y one f several peeds for a a picker ar assembly of t e rig t hand picker head, as particular motor ed, or can be moved backward Con viewed r a ove in the direction indicated in general ventional control c an in re ovided adjacent the by the arrow9of FIG. 8. operators station fo contr llmg the operation of the FIG. 10 ragmentary vertical section similar to the various mechanism f machm o bean picker upper portion of FIG. 7showing, in particular, amodified heads 6 and 64 GS d hr h re located orm of picker barcontrol cam. pposite each er n the ngitud na 0 mg 60 of FIG 11 enlarged plan of t e right ft hand h rame, exte d on rtudin ll of e chi e and picker bars h wing the picker bars in ful mes, pa tl are carried by th c s 's i nsversely spaced relation roken awa s they would r re v d from the djacent t side portions 4 a 4 respectively. The picker heads d in operative relation. gure al picker heads 62 nd 64 are individ al y mounted in the s ows the p r bar om in overlappe operaframe 3 y mounting structures 66 and 6 respectively tlve relation 15 (FIGS. 4, and l or vertical and horizontal d I IG. 12 is an enlarged perspective, with certain parts justment. Vertical adjustment of the picker heads 62 and broken away, howing t e rear support shaft mounting is provided (FIG. 15 eight adjustm apparatus racketfo t eright hand picker head. 8 y which ey are ra ed a d 10 ered u f rmly and FIG. I an enlarged section showing part of a foliag y whi h n be ed and held a a1 movelifting de of th ht and pick r head, t ken along 2 ent b low a selected height. horizontal a usting de ines 13 13 of FIG. vice 70 (FIGS. 4 and 5 moves 1 e picker hea s uniformly FIG. is a fragmentary side elevation of the structure oward and away from each other 11 this y, t e picker shown in FIG. taken looking in the direction of eads can spa ed at whatever distance the c noperate arrows 14 14 thereof. most effectively upon the b us at the opposit side of the FIG. 1 reduced diagrammatic transverse section of bean plants in a w th reof such as ro 72 (FIG. 1) he harves r, certain part being br ken aw ken hich 1s med n a r trellise pro by wires lines 15 15 of FIG. 1 s owmg the picker head height strung he wee a plurality of en posts 88 and mtermedr adjusting apparatus. ate posts 90 picker hea a and related FIG an enlarged fragmentary section taken alon uctures are similar to each other fore, only the mes 16 of PI ShOWl r port1on of a 3 right hand pick he and relat d u rung and ad onveyor y m partlally included n FIG usnng apparatus, sho est in F1 Will be de a f ag entary ear iew 0 an elevatori scribed in d t l. o e left ha picker head 64 luded in t eyor system, taken looking in the direcapparatus relating thereto will be given reference on of arrows 17-17 of FIG numbers identical to ose us d in identifying correperspective of a portion of the conveyor sponding parts of the ngh stem shown in PI 6 as viewed from above e rear the harvester, as indicated in & arrow 18 of-FIG. 3.

' t hand picker head 62 but, in addition, will be 'iven a prime suflix mark. n ral y e picker heads 62 and ave foliage lifting devices respectively (FIGS. -1 adjacent their hic e beans to a ssemblies 78 and respectively, are moved upward in contact wit e opposite sides of the plants in ow to pick the beans eans, e diagrammatic Section ich are picked by the upwardly m e picker heads illustratin operation. e bh' 73 and 7 d erspective showing a fragment of ovmg picker bar asrop downwardly and are a I y conveyor systems 80 and a picker bar and illustrating the b 62 picking operation.

ociated with the picker nd 4, respectr 1 cans e delivered by th nvey rs 80 d 82 into large bags 84 (shown 2, and 24 are fragm nta y p r p i in full lines in FIG. 1 and in p ant m lin in FIG 3) WW showlng a dlfferellt embodiment of the Picker are carried by the harveste 30 a jacent its rear end. As Pted for use in he prese bean harve er. will be explained presently, a dri e m chanism 86 1s robean harvesting machine 30 1, and 3 vided to connect the tor 48 w th he picker heads 62 ses a chassis 2 having a frame structure 34 of d 64 d i h h onveyor s m d 82 to ly inverted U- p cross sect'o e frame d ive th Sam e '5 fabricat d gid structural members and the start of bean harvesting operation the picker an Upper horizon! 1 F 36 Which 1'8 made P heads 62 and 64 are in a raised, ansporting position (not llaiity o ransver beams 38 (F1 S. and s own). After th harveste oved into longitudinal PP e, ht d left ha d Side Pom-011$ 40 alignment ih one row It plant (FIG the fespectl 1 a Projecting downward therefrolnpic er heads re loweredi to harvesting position (shown -a inverted Urshped Trangement 18 1n FIGS. a 2) a dt spa ng of re picker heads 62 that the ach e an be d en 1011 T W 0 and 64 wth r pect to ea ther is a usted in accord ts with th W i p 11 a longltlldlnal Open ance with e general thickness of the ow. T ereafter .etWee th 8 P t and 42 of t e oliage lifting devices 74 and 74' t and 64 an & portions 40 and 42 have rear w els 44 and 6 I (FIG. 3) which e picker heads 62 e conveyor syste s 80 and operation, and are rotatably mounted therea each other and are In re set in t e arvester advancedi the direction 65 indicated b the arrow 58 (F l), with t e picker heads rlven 111 3 Well known 2 and a ride the row 72 of be 11 plants. I the end Shown) a Conventional motor 48 mounte posts 88 0 t e row 72 very large 11 cr s section, the zontal portion 36. Opposite dirigible wheels arvester 30 1S fi t ove p St h e b mounted on the side portions 40 and 42 re mng f the row 1 h plcker hea 6 d 64 are t t e front of he frame St t r 4 HT w d ly spaced apart pr gress the harvester 1s a well kn n manner Steering mach then halted and the pi lie heads 62 nd moved toward 1 and clllding Steerlfl Wheel 56 each other into paced relation fter which the lerstood th e drive (not show c0nnetharvestm peration proceeds as described above It w ll and t e rear wheels 44 and includes be unde stood th e p st 90 o the rows interansmissi (not show any well mediate th post are in general more slender than the end posts 88 and do not obstruct progress of the harvester along the rows. During movement of the harvester 30 along the row 72, the picker bar assemblies 78 and 7 8 effectively pick the beans within the range of sizes stated previously. The beans, picked by the action of the picker heads 62 and 64, fall upon or are directed downwardly to the conveyor systems 80 and 82. The bags 84, after being filled with beans, are removed from the harvester 30 and exchanged for empty bags or are emptied and replaced.

Picker heads The picker head 62 (FIG. 5 includes a vertically elongate, rectangular frame 92 defined, in general, by four upright corner posts 94, 96, 98, and 100 (FIG. 8). The posts 96 and 98 are connected by a plurality of horizontal tie bars 102 (FIGS. 6A and 6B) which, in conjunction with these posts, form the rear wall 104 of the picker head 62. The posts 94 and 100 are similarly connected by horizontal tie bars 106 to form the forward wall 108 of the picker head 62. The walls 104 and 108 are held in rigid, horizontally spaced apart relation at their top ends by inner and outer bars 110 and 112, respectively, (FIGS. 6A and 7), extending longitudinally of the harvester 30 between the posts 94 and 96, and 98 and 100, respectively. An inverted channel 114 (FIG. 7) extends longitudinally through the center of the frame 92 and is secured at one end to one of the transverse tie bars 102 and at its other end to a tie bar 106. Similarly, a channel 116 (FIG. 6B) extends centrally through the machine between associated tie bars 102 and 106. The channel beams 114 and 116 project outward from the picker head beyond the walls 104 and 108. It will be understood that the end walls 104 and 108, the interconnecting bars 110 and 112 and the beams 114 and 116 form the rigid rectangular frame 92 of the picker head 62.

An endless conveyor 126 (FIG. 7) is mounted in the picker head 62 and is provided with inner and outer vertically extending reaches 128 and 130. The conveyor 126 includes two horizontally spaced, endless chains 132 that are trained around upper and lower vertically spaced sprockets 134 and 136, respectively, which are fixed to horizontal shafts 138 and 140, respectively.

An endless series of the previously mentioned picker bar assemblies 78 are secured in equally spaced relation between the two spaced chains 132. The upper shaft 138 is a drive shaft and is journalled in bearings 142 and 144 fixed to the opposite end walls 104 and 108, respectively, with the end portions of the shaft projecting outward from the frame 92 beyond the end walls. The lower or idler shaft 140 (FIG. 6B) is journalled in bearings 146 and 148, secured to the walls 104 and 108, respectively, for vertical adjustment, in a well known manner, to vary the tension of the chains 132. It will be noted (FIGS. 6B and 8) that the front end portion only of the shaft 140 projects outward from the frame 92 beyond the end wall 108. The rearwardly projecting end portion of the drive shaft 138 is connected to the drive mechanism of the machine, in a manner to be described later, to operate the conveyor 126 and thereby move the picker bar assemblies 78 on the inner reach 128 upward, as indicated by the arrow 150 (FIG. 7).

Vertical bars 151 which are secured to the beams 114 and 116 between aligned sprockets 134 and 136 are engaged by the reaches 128 and 130 and provide guide tracks therefor.

Since the picker bar assemblies 78 of the endless conveyor 126, are similar to each other, the following description will be directed to but one of the assemblies 78A shown best in FIG. 8. The picker bar assembly 78A comprises a curved picker bar 152 which is mounted, in a manner to be described presently, on three brackets 161, 162, and 163 that are supported on a rod 158 which is carried by the spaced conveyor chains 132. As seen in FIG. 9 each end of the mounting rod 158 is journalled in a cylindrical bearing sleeve 160 which has a plate 160a secured to special links 13201 of the chains 132.

The three brackets 161, 162, and 163 of the picker bar assembly 78 cooperate with the rod 158 to provide a picker bar carrier. Each bracket (FIG. 9) is of modified U-shape and comprises an elongate body 164 and two spaced legs 166 which project from one side of the body 164 and are provided with aligned apertures 168 (only one shown, FIG. 9) to receive the rod 158. The legs 166 of each of the endmost brackets 161 and 163 are on opposite sides of the associated mounting sleeve 160 and abut its opposite ends. An elongate arm 170, later to be described, projects from the other side of the body 164 in a direction opposite to that of the legs 166.

The brackets 161 and 163 are arranged on the rod 158 with the arms 170 in angular alignment and are rigidly interconnected by a U-shaped bar or torque transmitting member 174 (FIG. 8) having its opposite ends fixed to the free ends of the inner legs 166. The bight portion 176 of the bar 174 extends in spaced parallel relation to the rod 158 on the side thereof opposite the bracket bodies 164. Centrally of the bight portion 176 and adjacent bracket 162 is a rigid projection 178 which includes a collar 180 (FIG. 8), mounted in fixed position on the rod 158 by a set screw 182. The brackets 161 and 163 are fixed by set screws 183, (FIG. 9), to the shaft 158 for pivotal movement therewith upon rotation of the shaft 158 in its opposite bearings 160. This arrangement assures that neither of the brackets 161 and 163 can be moved angularly about the mounting rod 158 with respect to the other.

The third or center bracket 162 is not keyed to the rod 158 and has its legs 166 astride the projection 178 (FIG. 8). Movement of the center bracket 162 axially of the rod 158 in one direction is prevented by a spacer sleeve 184 thereon extending between and engaging the projection 178 and the rearmost leg 166. Movement of the bracket 162 in the other direction is prevented by a collar 186 which engages the rear of the forward leg 166 and is fixed to the rod 158 by a set screw 188. This manner of mounting the center bracket 162 enables it to pivot on the rod 158 with respect to the associated end brackets 161 and 163.

To limit pivotal movement of the brackets 161 and 163 in one direction, horizontally aligned abutment stops 190 (FIG. 9) are fixed to the sleeves 160 so as to project transversely therefrom at one side of and beyond the associated bracket body 164. For a reason to be made apparent later, a torsion spring 192, coiled about an end portion of each mounting sleeve 160, has its op posite ends connected to the rear bracket leg 166 and to the associated abutment stop 190, respectively. Another torsion spring 192 (FIG. 8), associated with the center bracket 162, is coiled about the sleeve 184 and has its ends connected to the adjacent bracket leg 166 and to the projection 178, respectively. An abutment stop 194 (FIG. 8) on the projection 178 is horizontally aligned with the abutment stops 190 when the brackets 161 and 163 are in engagement with the latter and projects transversely of the rod 158 to a position overlying the body 164 of the center bracket 162. When the picker bar assemblies 78 move along the inner reach of the conveyor 126, the abutment stops 190 and 194 overlie the brackets 161, 162 and 163, which are resiliently urged upward by the torsion springs 192 so that the bodies 164 engage the aligned abutment stops. Thus, the abutment stops limit upward movement of the associated picker bar assembly 78 at a position wherein the arms 170 project at right angles to the inner reach 128 (FIG. 9).

Each of the three arms 170 has a sleeve portion provided with a longitudinal socket 196 (FIG. 9) which receives a tang or mounting arm 197 of the curved picker bar. A slot 198 extending across the upper edge of each arm 170 opens into the associated socket 196 and is disposed parallel to the mounting rod 158.

As shown in FIG. 9, a quick release latch 200 on each arm 170 includes a key or detent 202 removably received in the slot 198. Each latch 200 comprises, in addition to the detent 202, a rectangular band 204 which extends around the arm 170 and has side walls 210 and relatively short upper and lower walls 206 and 208 which are slightly greater in length than the shorter transverse dimension of the arm 170. The detent 202 is fixed in a slot 206a in the upper wall 206 of the band 204 and projects down into the band a distance substantially equal to the depth of the slot 198. Opposite end portions 212 of the detent 202 project beyond the opposite sides 210 of the band 204. The length of the sides 210 is greater than the longer transverse dimension of the arm 170 and therefore permits movement of the bank 204 transversely of the arm 170 (upward and downward, FIG. 9) sufficiently to move the detent 202 into and out of the slot 198.

A cap 214, located within the opening defined by the band 204, is fixed on the upwardly projecting shank end of an adjusting screw 216 threaded through the bottom wall 208 of the band 204. A compression spring 218 interposed between and reacting on both the cap 214 and the adjacent side of the arm 170 urges the band 204 downward, FIG. 9, to removably retain the detent 202 in the slot 198. By turning the screw 216, the cap 214 may be moved up or down to adjust the force of the spring 218 to a valve sufficient to effectively retain the detent 202 in the slot 198. The latch 200 can easily be removed from the operative position shown in FIG. 9 to the inoperative position (not shown) by engaging the opposite projecting end portions 212 of the detent 202 and moving the latch 200 upward (FIG. 9) against the force of the spring 218 to remove the detent 202 from the slot 198.

Another arm 220 (FIG. 9) on the bracket 161 projects from the body 164 at a point adjacent the outer leg 166 and in parallel relation to the arm 170. A cam follower roller 222, mounted for rotation on the arm 220, controls pivotal movement of the picker bar assembly 78 during movement of the conveyor 126, in a manner to be fully disclosed later.

Two of the bean stripping picker bars, which actually engage and pick the beans from the plant rows 72, are shown in FIG. 11 removed from the picker heads 62 and 64. The bar 152 is associated with the right hand picker head 62 while bar 152' is associated with the left hand head 64. In FIG. 11, the ends of the bars near the bottom of the view are those at the front of the machine and are indicated by reference numerals 152F and 1521 It will be apparent that the picker bars are similar and are symmetrical about the longitudinal center of the harvester 30, indicated by the center line 226 (FIG. 11). The following description will be directed to only one of the several picker bars used in the picker head 62.

Each picker bar comprises an elongate bean engaging rod of circular cross section. The rod has small curves or undulations 232 throughout its length. In addition, the rod has approximately four large, primary undulations 230. It is to be noted that, in this embodiment of the picker bars, the undulations 230 and 232 lie in the same plane.

Each bar carries three of the previously mentioned tangs or shanks by which the bar 152 is mounted in the brackets 161, 162 and 163, and these tangs are located at and fixed to the opposite ends and adjacent the center, respectively, of the rod and project in a common direction therefrom, in the plane of the corrugations 230 and 232. The primary corrugations 230 provide the side of the rod opposite the tangs 197 with a plurality of alternate crests 236 and hollows 238. A picker bar four feet long and one-fourth inch in diameter has been found to function efficiently to pick beans of a size and under the conditions mentioned when the primary undulations 230 vary from approximately twenty or twenty-one inches in length with an amplitude of three inches, adjacent the front end, to approximately sixteen inches in length with an amplitude of two inches, adjacent the rear end. The secondary undulations 232 are uniform and are one and one-half inches long with an amplitude of -f u th inch.

The endmost tangs or legs 197 are fixed to opposite ends of the bar 152, the tang at the rear end 152R being disposed substantially at the center of a crest 236, and the tang at the front end 152E being at the center of a hollow 238. The precise location of the third or middle tang 197 is not critical providing it is secured to the bar approximately midway between the other tangs. Each tang 197 is of rectangular cross section to fit in the socket 196 of the associated bracket and, as viewed in FIG. 11, has a groove 240 across its upper edge. The grooves 240 in the three tangs 197 are aligned longitudinally of the picking bar 152 in equally spaced relation to the crests 236 (FIG. 11). A portion 152a of the picker bar adjacent the forward ends 152F and between the adjacent crest 236 and the front tang 197, is directed laterally and provides the bar with an oblique deflector 242. It will be understood from FIGS. 9 and ll that, when the tangs 197 are provided with grooves 240 in both their upper and lower edges the picker bars may be interchanged from one picker head 62 or 64 to the other.

In order to mount a picker bar 152, the three tangs 197 thereof are inserted in the sockets 196 in the arms 170 of the three brackets 1614.63. The latches 200 are then moved against the force of the springs 218 to retract the detents 202 from the slots 198, thus, enabling the tangs to be moved into the sockets 196 until the grooves 240 are in registry with the detents 202. The latches 200 are then released, the detents 202 enter the slots 198 and the grooves 240, and removably lock the picker bar in operative position in the carrier provided by the brackets 161-163. In this way, the picker bar 152 of each picker bar assembly 78 is disposed with the crests 236 in a plane parallel to the rod 158. Thus, it will be clear that when the picker bars 152 and 152 are along the inner reaches 128 and 128 of the conveyors 126 and 126, respectively, the picker bars move in vertical paths. Throughout the length of opposite picker bars 152 and 152 the crests 236 and 236 are equally spaced from a vertical longitudinal median plane of the harvester. The spacing between the opposite hollows 238 and 238', however, diminishes progressively from the front to the rear of the harvester. It will be apparent that the latches 200 and 200' of the picker bar assemblies 78 and 78 enable quick removal and replacement of the picker bars 152 and 152', respectively.

During bean harvesting operations the picker bars 152 and 152' are carried upward, in vertically staggered relation to each other, in engagement with the bean plants at the opposite sides of the row 72. The reaction on each picker bar assembly 78 and 78, as the picker bars 152 and 152' thereof drag against the bean plants, may pivot the assemblies downward in their mounting sleeves against the urgency of the torsion springs 192. Any pivotal movement of either end bracket 161 or 163 of a picker bar assembly causes equal pivoting of the opposite end bracket due to the interconnecting bar 174. When in any position other than their normal position, shown by picker bar assembly 788 (FIG. 7) the endmost brackets 161 and 163 of an assembly 78 are out of engagement with their abutment stops 190, as shown by assembly 78C at the lower end of FIG. 7.

When the picker bar 152 and the associated bar 174 are pivoted downward with the end brackets 161 and 163, the central abutment stop 194 is also pivoted downward, and may remain in engagement with the body 164 of the center bracket 162. The center abutment stop 194, therefore, under certain operating conditions, pivots the center bracket 162 downward in conformity with the downward angular movement of the associated end brackets 161 and 163. The center return spring 192, by urging the center bracket 162 upward toward engagement 

14. A HARVESTER COMPRISING A MOBILE SUPPORT STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID STRUCTURE FORWARDLY ALONG A PATH PARALLEL TO AND CLOSELY ADJACENT A ROW OF VINES TO BE STRIPPED, SID STRUCTURE HAVING TWO ELONGATE SECTIONS SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID STRUCTURE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ROW OF VINES DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID STRUCTURE, AN ENDLESS CHAIN OF STRIPPER BARS MOUNTED IN EACH SECTION, EACH BAR BEING A BENT ROD DISPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID CHANNEL AND HAVING A WAVE-LIKE CONFIGURATION HAVING ALTERNATE CREASTS AND VALLEYS, EACH ENDLESS CHAIN HAVING AN UPWARDLY MOVING RUN DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID CHANNEL WITH T HE BARS OF THE RUN PROJECTING INTO SAID CHANNEL TO A POINT PAST A VERTICAL PLANE EXTENDING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF SAID CHANNEL, THE CRESTS OF THE BARS OF ONE CHAIN BEING ALIGNED VERTICALLY WITH EACH OTHER AND ALIGNED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CHANNEL WITH THE CRESTS OF THE BARS ON THE OTHER CHAIN AND THE VALLEYS OF THE BARS ON ONE CHAIN BEING ALIGNED VERTICALLY WITH EACH OTHER AND TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CHANNEL WITH THE VALLEYS OF THE BARS ON THE OTHER CHAIN, WHEREBY THE VINES OF SAID ROW IN SAID CHANNEL WILL BE ALTERNATELY COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE CRESTS OF OPPOSITELY PROJECTING BARS AND RELEASED BY THE VALLEYS OF SAID BARS DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID STRUCTURE ALONG THE VINE ROW, THE WAVE-LIKE CONFIGURATION OF SAID UPWARDLY MOVING BARS BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A WAVE-LIKE PATTERN IN THE ROW OF VINES DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE STRUCTURE, THE WAVE MOVING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE ROW AND EXTENDING IN AN UPWARD AND FORWARD DIRECTION, THE BARS OF SAID CHAINS BEING SO POSITIONED ON SAID CHAINS THAT, WHEN THE BARS ARE IN SAID UPWARDLY MOVING RUNS, THE BARS OF ONE RUN ARE VERTICALLY SPACED FROM THE TWO ADJACENT BARS ON THE OTHER RUN WHEREBY DURING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RUNS THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE VINES ARE FLEXED IN AW SERIES OF VERTICALLY SPACED REGIONS TO CREATE VERTICALLY MOVING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL WAVES IN THE VINES, THE UPWARDLY MOVING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL WAVES COACTING WITH THE FORWARDLY MOVING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY EXTENDING WAVES DURING ALTERNATE COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF THE VINE ROW TO EXPOSE THE BEANS OF THE VINES TO THE ACTION OF THE STRIPPER BARS. 